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How New York City’s Electrical Utilities Observed the 1925 Eclipse

Atlas Obscura

August 21, 2017

AS SUN IS BLOCKED BY the Moon on August 21, solar power production across the United States will drop by about five gigawatts. Utility companies say there won’t be blackouts, but they are concerned about the impact of the eclipse on the electrical grid. The 2017 eclipse is an important chance to track the effects of an eclipse on solar power and learn lessons that will be useful in 2024, when another eclipse will sweep from Texas to Maine. But this isn’t the first time utilities have paid close attention to the grid during a solar eclipse. Back in 1925, the electrical companies serving New York City were interested in the eclipse that passed over Manhattan, and set out to measure its impact.